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Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Education
Improving Second Language Learning Through Performance-Based Assessment Practices, Maria Granados
Improving Second Language Learning Through Performance-Based Assessment Practices, Maria Granados
Dissertations
From the time of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) to the present day, standardized testing has become the benchmark measure for student assessment and school accountability in the United States. Multilingual learners are a vulnerable population with more testing and accountability requirements than mainstream students. Not only are they required to learn a second language, but they are also assessed within the same standardized testing paradigms as their peers - native speakers of the English language. This study aimed to examine and evaluate the benefits of instructional practices and assessments that provide multilingual students and teachers prompt and …
Mission Possible: Collaborative Practice Promoting Student Success, Danita Smith
Mission Possible: Collaborative Practice Promoting Student Success, Danita Smith
Dissertations
Educators working with underserved populations of students seek strategies that promote student engagement and success. Relationship-focused, collaborative practices can provide a framework to promote student success. In this study, I evaluated the program Individualized Student Success Plans used in five charter high schools whose focus was working with underserved students. I surveyed and interviewed administrators, teachers, and support personnel about the implementation practices of the program. This research study yielded recommendations for the effective implementation of a schoolwide initiative to promote active student engagement through positive adult-to-student mentorship.
Perceptions Of Out-Of-School Reading Motivation For Female Middle School Students, Danielle Porch
Perceptions Of Out-Of-School Reading Motivation For Female Middle School Students, Danielle Porch
Dissertations
Literacy engagement and motivation to read is lacking in middle school reading classrooms. Educators struggle with the challenge of motivating students to read and actively engage with text both inside and outside of school. Research indicates that female and male middle school students have unique characteristics and habits as readers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perspectives of female middle school students regarding their out-of-school recreational reading time, their attitudes towards reading, and their reading habits. The themes derived from this study indicated the students’ desires to have their reading instruction personalized and have their reading …
A Case Study Of Secondary Students' Perspectives On Standards-Based Grading And The Development Of 21st Century Learner Attributes, Michelle Blackley
A Case Study Of Secondary Students' Perspectives On Standards-Based Grading And The Development Of 21st Century Learner Attributes, Michelle Blackley
Dissertations
Implementation of standards-based grading (SBG) practices can be a high benefit, low-cost initiative that directly impacts student achievement and growth. This case study aimed to determine if the theoretical value of SBG outlined in research aligns to the students’ perspectives of its value on academic learning, growth and development of 21st century skills. Secondary students were interviewed and responses were organized into three themes: development of 21st century learner attributes, strengths of SBG and areas to improve. Results revealed that SBG supports individualized learning pace, development of a growth mindset, emotional well-being, student to teacher collaboration and 21st …
An Analysis Of Early Career Educator Experiences And The Impact Of Teacher Recruitment Initiatives, Induction Programs, And Retention Efforts In One School District, John Liddon Pope
Dissertations
The K-12 public education system faces a teacher shortage dilemma of unprecedented proportions. At the onset of the school year, out-of-field teachers, underqualified teachers, or long-term substitutes often fill instructional vacancies, causing many students to begin the school year with uncertainty. Recruiting, training, and retaining highly qualified teachers is critical to student success. The purpose of this study was to analyze early career educator experiences and the impact of teacher recruitment initiatives, induction programs, and retention efforts in one school district, explore common practices in recruitment, induction, and retention in other school districts, and develop strategies and actions to mitigate …
Special Education Teacher Burnout: Examining The Role Of Educator Preparation Programs In Prevention, Brittany L. Straub
Special Education Teacher Burnout: Examining The Role Of Educator Preparation Programs In Prevention, Brittany L. Straub
Dissertations
Teacher burnout is increasingly problematic, especially for special education teachers who have a unique set of job responsibilities. Survey and interview data was used in this phenomenological study to examine how the educator preparation program (EPP) experience and self-authorship journey of early career special education teachers impact their potential to experience burnout. Data findings regarding level of self-perceived burnout, recollections of being or not being taught stress management and coping strategies in their EPPs, recollections of the self-authorship journey, and intentions for remaining in the career are shared in this dissertation. The essence of this phenomenon can be summed up …
Focus, Drive, And Motivation In Secondary School Populations, Lakeshia Cook
Focus, Drive, And Motivation In Secondary School Populations, Lakeshia Cook
Dissertations
This study, Focus, Drive, and Motivation in Secondary Populations, addresses the topic of middle and high school student motivation to succeed in school. The aim was to discover what motivates and inspires student success. In this study, I delved into issues of low levels of student motivation, drive, and focus and the relative effect of these issues on school performance. The central purpose of this research was to find ways to foster greater levels of student focus, drive, and motivation during their middle and high school experience. The context of the study was a medium-sized charter middle school and a …
Teacher Professional Development And The Seven 21st Century Survival Skills: A Program Evaluation, Nykowanna Sloan
Teacher Professional Development And The Seven 21st Century Survival Skills: A Program Evaluation, Nykowanna Sloan
Dissertations
This evaluation examined the extent to which one 6-12 school in an urban school district used professional development to support teachers’ inclusion of 21st century survival skills (Wagner et al., 2008) in classroom instruction. Through collecting quantitative and qualitative data from stakeholders using surveys and interviews, this study revealed how effectively teachers are or are not being instructed to teach the post-graduate survival skills necessary for student success. This study included commentary on the needed changes in leadership determined by the evaluation of the program. Outcomes of this study outline an essential new program and a change in policy that …
Co-Teaching As A Vehicle To Inclusion In A Diverse Suburban Middle School: A Case Study, Luis Correa
Co-Teaching As A Vehicle To Inclusion In A Diverse Suburban Middle School: A Case Study, Luis Correa
Dissertations
Many school districts across the United States have adopted, or are considering adopting, full inclusion to meet academic and social-emotional needs of increasingly diverse student populations. Co-teaching has become a popular approach for districts committed to inclusion. This study is about a Midwestern school district which more than 10 years ago committed itself to inclusion and co-teaching. The primary research question was: How do we make co-teaching more effective in the Fairview School District? A survey was sent to 120 co-teachers from three middle schools about their experiences with co-teaching in the areas of sharing responsibilities, co-teaching relationships, planning time, …
Factors Influencing Teachers To Remain At Charter Schools, Tyneasha Banks
Factors Influencing Teachers To Remain At Charter Schools, Tyneasha Banks
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that contribute to teacher longevity in charter schools located in central and northwest Indiana. Phenomenological methodology was used to collect data regarding charter school teachers’ perceptions by conducting in-depth interviews. Charter school teachers who had remained with the same charter school for 2 or more years were asked to provide information about factors that influenced them to remain. Fourteen teachers were interviewed. Results showed that charter school teachers in this study were motivated to remain with a charter school for 2 or more years because of the following factors: (a) building …
Professional Learning Communities Supporting Teacher Collaboration And Student Achievement: A Program Evaluation, Chundra Evens
Professional Learning Communities Supporting Teacher Collaboration And Student Achievement: A Program Evaluation, Chundra Evens
Dissertations
In 2013, an initiative was implemented throughout a school district to address years of declining student assessment scores. With a directive for engagement in collaboration, this study was conducted to determine what a school was doing well in their Professional Learning Communities, areas for growth during the process, and the extent that the initiative was implemented with fidelity. By analyzing the targeted school’s quantitative and qualitative data, this study identified themes regarding overall effectiveness of the initiative and areas for recommended enhancements to facilitate student learning. The evaluation of this process shaped the foundation for development of change recommendations to …
The Lived Experiences Of Parenting Children With Food Allergies: A Phenomenological Study, Anne Zavell
The Lived Experiences Of Parenting Children With Food Allergies: A Phenomenological Study, Anne Zavell
Dissertations
This phenomenological study focuses on five mothers' experiences of the phenomenon of living with a diagnosed food allergy in the family. Attention is given to the contexts or situations that have typically influenced or affected their experiences, including the impact of the diagnoses, travel and restaurants, friendships, sibling relationships, and anxiety. There is a major emphasis on these mothers' experiences advocating for the needs of their children in schools, including their strategies, concerns, and frustrations. Policies related to food allergies are reviewed from the contemporary and historical perspectives, with recommendations for policy change. The lived experiences of food allergy mothers …
An Evaluation Of Avid As A Supplemental Education Program At The Middle School Level, Lori Bradner
An Evaluation Of Avid As A Supplemental Education Program At The Middle School Level, Lori Bradner
Dissertations
This is a study of AVID as a supplemental education program at the middle school level that includes a quantitative evaluation of the academic efficacy of AVID utilizing anonymized, longitudinal student achievement data. The second section is a qualitative evaluation of the AVID program at one middle school within a district to determine the perceived efficacy of the AVID program among stakeholders using surveys and interviews. This also includes a discussion of the necessary change in leadership determined by the evaluation portions of this project. The third portion outlines a policy change essential for satisfactory outcome as defined by AVID …
Educating Incarcerated Youth In Illinois: A Blended Learning Model, John Sonnenberg
Educating Incarcerated Youth In Illinois: A Blended Learning Model, John Sonnenberg
Dissertations
The purpose of this case study was to better understand the reasons behind the apparent continued success of a blended learning educational model in place since 2012 in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ). Using a mixed methods approach, data were gathered and analyzed from a variety of records, reports, and other documentation that included: diplomas awarded, courses taken, course completion, enrollment trends, student mobility rates, GED testing information, and special education student enrollment and performance. Data were also gathered through classroom observations and individual and group interviews with the IDJJ district superintendent, principals, and teachers at six different …
Moving To A District Balanced Literacy Program: A Change Leadership Plan, Cynthia A. Marks, Carol A. Benda
Moving To A District Balanced Literacy Program: A Change Leadership Plan, Cynthia A. Marks, Carol A. Benda
Dissertations
Based upon the requirements of the No Child Left Behind mandate, schools that failed to achieve the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) designation for two consecutive years were required to implement a comprehensive school reform model. This change plan examined the movement from the comprehensive school reform model Success For All (SFA) to a balanced literacy framework within Harmony District 841. The framework advocated for balanced literacy instruction that supported the integration of authentic reading and writing experiences, application of literacy strategies and skills, implementation of a culturally relevant text, focus on professional development for teachers, and provision for effective instructional …
Reframing Lesson Plans: The Foundation For Improving Instruction, Carletta M. Noland
Reframing Lesson Plans: The Foundation For Improving Instruction, Carletta M. Noland
Dissertations
This dissertation is a policy advocacy document that boldly states that it is our moral imperative to change the current educational landscape for the students attending Milwaukee Public Schools. In advocating for such a change, it is strongly suggested that the way to accomplish this challenging task is to mandate a stronger instructional foundation by leveraging the power of thoughtful lesson planning and design. Through its own merit, public and professional opinions and research findings, a viable argument is crafted to eliminate the current policy that marginalizes the planning process by suggesting through its current language, that the planning process …
The Tale Of Two Middle School Literacy Coaches: Implications For Building Coaching Capacity, Tina Edwards
The Tale Of Two Middle School Literacy Coaches: Implications For Building Coaching Capacity, Tina Edwards
Dissertations
This study examines the day to day practices of two middle school literacy coaches. My intention is to capture how coaches continue to build their capacity. Data were gathered through multiple sources, in the form of interviews, observations, a focus group, field notes, reflection journal and artifacts. I then analyzed the data to look for themes. Three major themes emerged through this research and several implications are made for literacy coaches, principals, district leadership, professional development providers, university programs and school systems.
Paradigm Transformation: Preparing Students For The Transition To Middle School, Lasabra Warner Patterson
Paradigm Transformation: Preparing Students For The Transition To Middle School, Lasabra Warner Patterson
Dissertations
This Change Leadership Plan is the second part of a three-part dissertation on effectively transitioning students from elementary school to middle school. Currently, there is no local program to aid students in transitioning from elementary to middle school. The rationale is that by addressing the need for increased focus on improving current practices, students’ needs will be met. This is important to the school, the district, and the educational community at large in preparation for implementation of the Common Core State Standards where all learning will spiral from grade level to grade level, continually allowing students and teachers to make …
Teaching English Learners In Middle Grades: A Mixed Method Study Of The Dispositions, Priorities, And Instructional Practices Of Urban Bilingual, Esl, And Content Teachers, Elizabeth Cardenas-Lopez
Teaching English Learners In Middle Grades: A Mixed Method Study Of The Dispositions, Priorities, And Instructional Practices Of Urban Bilingual, Esl, And Content Teachers, Elizabeth Cardenas-Lopez
Dissertations
This study focuses on the instruction of middle grade English language learners (ELs) and their bilingual, English as a Second Language (ESL), and content teachers in a large, urban, Midwestern school district. This mixed methods study gathered quantitative and qualitative data using a survey and interviews to examine the preparation, dispositions, and experiences of middle grade EL teachers; their professional development; their instructional decisions related to language and literacy development; and the factors that influence these decisions. Study results aided the formulation of district, school, and teacher level recommendations based on the belief that without equitable, quality instruction, and highly …
The Relationship Between Word Consciousness And Vocabulary Growth And Achievement In Fourth And Fifth Graders, Margaret M. Walsh
The Relationship Between Word Consciousness And Vocabulary Growth And Achievement In Fourth And Fifth Graders, Margaret M. Walsh
Dissertations
This study examined the relationship between word consciousness and vocabulary growth by analyzing the results from a local assessment, the Word Consciousness Assessment (WCA), as well as a standardized assessment, the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests. These data came from portions of a larger study, the Multifaceted Comprehensive Vocabulary Instructional Program for the Upper Elementary Grades, which relied on a formative design with no control group. The 142 fourth and fifth grade participants came from an elementary school located in the Midwest. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to determine whether an increase in word consciousness occurred, a relationship between outcomes on …